Father-Daughter Talk

Father-Daughter Talk February 21, 2008

I got this from a friend and decided that I had to share.

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many
others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat,
and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes
to support more government programs, in other words redistribution of
wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather
staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the
lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a
professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil,
selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on
the rich and the need for more government programs. The self-professed
objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she
indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in
school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA,
and let him know that it was tough to maintain,
insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was
constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like
other people she knew. She didn’t even have time for a boyfriend, and
didn’t really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, “How is your friend Audrey doing?”

She replied, “Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes,
she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on
campus; college for her is a blast. She’s always invited to all the
parties, and lots of times she doesn’t even show up for classes because
she’s too hung over.”

Her wise father asked his daughter, “Why don’t you go to the Dean’s office and
ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2. 0.
That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal
distribution of GPA.”

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father’s suggestion, angrily fired back,

“That’s a crazy idea. How would that be fair? I’ve worked really hard for my grades!
I’ve invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!”

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, “Welcome to the
Republican Party.”


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